Goodreads book review: Happiness Sold Separately

Unfortunately, I did not read the other Goodreads reviews before starting this book. If I had, I probably would have pulled it off the shelf and put it directly in the pile to be dropped off at one of the nearest “have a book, leave a book; need a book, take a book” bins sprouting up around the region.

There are absolutely no likable characters in story. A woman, frustrated by her inability to conceive and carry a child to term, treats her caring, thoughtful husband horribly. He reacts to this treatment by having an affair. The mistress not only dates this (married) man, but also a series of what can only be called losers – an alcoholic and a narcissist to name a couple. The mistress’s son is a manipulative jerk, who acts out and then wonders why no one wants to spend time with him. Back to the woman with the fertility issues – she uses her husband’s infidelity as an excuse to get wildly drunk and flirt with a boy half her age and have sex with a random horticulturalist who pops into the story to break the news to her that her favorite tree has to be cut down. The supporting characters’ sole function seems to be as enablers for all the screw-up main characters.

Other Goodreads reviewers mention enjoying the author’s debut novel, but after being so disappointed by this effort, I doubt I’ll come back to her other works.